By: Scott Tylenda, Dakota Miller, and Brittany Anthony
Teenagers are always going to have sex, we are never going to change that. But when looking at sex education programs in schools across the country, one cannot help but notice a fatal flaw in helping this age group be safe while engaging in intercourse. Abstinence.
So how is abstinence the problem? When asked about preventing STDs and pregnancy, teachers must respond with abstinence as the only safe way. If they don't, start looking for a new job. That sounds like a problem, and is definitely misleading our youth. Abstinence is simply the only safety measure being taught to students in most of the country. If all kids are going to be abstinent, then hallelujah! Problem solved! But we all know that is ridiculous. Teaching abstinence alone is a waste of time. There are those who have made up their mind to be abstinent before it was taught to them, and hoping to convert the rest is just wishful thinking. They will probably be more likely to go out and have sex after some "stupid teacher" told them it was bad. We simply cannot turn a blind eye to the fact that our current methods do not work. They are only adding fuel to the fire.
So how to fix it? Comprehensive sex education. Give the facts, don't leave out important information. Condoms, birth control, STDs, the list goes on. Equip the students, don't blindly send them off with no knowledge of how to have safe sex. If a situation arises, we must be sure the kids of this country know how to handle it. Because the fact remains, our current teaching methods are only hindering this country's goal of lowering teen pregnancy and STD rates.
No comments:
Post a Comment